


craving.

by sonsoflucis



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Eating Disorder, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 08:59:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13567209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonsoflucis/pseuds/sonsoflucis
Summary: noctis comforts prompto after a particularly bad day.





	craving.

Noctis kicked his boots off immediately after entering his apartment, sighing heavily. “What a day, what a day…” Gladio knew he hated these early morning training sessions and made them even earlier every time the prince complained. He stretched, groaning, jacket on the floor beside his boots. New bruises were making themselves known on his back, a few more reminders to never look away from that hulking man-beast of a shield during practice. Noctis assessed himself in the mirror, gingerly feeling a particularly tender place on his jaw. “Hm…”  
  
“Noct…?”  
  
The prince jumped at the wavering voice, no one else was supposed to be here but Ignis and that madman would have swept away Noctis’ clutter and chastised him before could even make an excuse. Noctis crept around the corner, not entirely sure what to expect, and saw a very nervous Prompto sitting on the counter, kicking his feet. Noct blinked surprise and relaxed, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“Sorry, dude, I… I just wanted to come over. It hasn’t been a… good day,” the gunman mumbled, eyes falling to the floor. He was wearing a black hoodie and loose jeans, not really his usual style. The very air around him felt… off.  
  
“I mean, I love seeing you, man,” Noctis answered quickly, jumping up on the counter beside the blonde. “But uh, what’re you doing here? You were supposed to-”  
  
“Be out making deliveries, I know.”  
  
“Well… Yeah, you _just_ got the job… You should probably show up every once in a while,” the prince laughed, touching the boy’s shoulder.  
  
Prompto shrugged off the hand trying to convey comfort and shook his head. “I am not really in a good place, Noct. I shouldn’t have applied for the position in the first place.”  
  
Noctis furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about, Prom? What’s up?” His eyes lingered on the splash of freckles spilling across the bridge of the blonde’s nose, the faint trembling of his bottom lip. Prompto closed his eyes and pulled his knees to his chest.  
  
“It doesn’t matter. How’re you? Didja get fucked up by Gladdy again?”  
  
“Hey, hey, hey, no, reverse. What’s wrong, Prompto?” Noctis prodded, drawing his mouth into a fine line. “Did something happen at work?” Prompto’s entire demeanor was collapsing in on itself and it felt like he was trying to make himself smaller, winding his fingers around his knees and burying his face. “Do you want me to call Iggy-”  
  
“No!” Prompto cried, two big tears rolling down his face. He stared at the dark-haired boy for a minute, the two of them shocked that Prom had actually raised his voice. It was so out of character. Noctis didn’t say a word when Prompto slid off the counter and straightened out his hoodie. Didn’t say anything when he meandered toward the door. Didn’t say anything when he stopped and hunched over, muffling a sob in the crook of his arm. Didn’t say anything when Prom looked at him pitifully from the floor, a blubbering mess. Noct merely stood and crouched next to his friend, pulling him awkwardly into his chest.  
  
“Dude, hey, I’m here,” he crooned, unsure of what else to do. The blonde shoved his face into Noct’s shirt and hugged him tightly, causing the prince to fall back a bit. Prompto crumbled at the contact, wildly apologizing, body wracked with watery sobs and sniffling. Noctis readjusted, reaching his hand up to… to do what? I don’t even know how to comfort my own friend. Prom wiped his face on his jacket sleeve, his eyes red-rimmed and puffy. Noct warily placed his palm on the back of his friend’s head and softly patted his hair. “I, uh, I don’t…”  
  
Prompto sniffled, a look of horror cresting over his face, and released Noctis from his vice-like grip. “S-sorry, highness…”  
  
Noctis stifled a chuckle, his hand resting on the gunman’s thigh. “Oooh, so formal.” Prompto blanched, hesitantly placing his own shaking palm over the prince’s.  
  
“You… You aren’t mad?”  
  
“Why would I be?”  
  
Prompto sniffed, blinking back another bout of tears. “I’m used to people getting mad. And then leaving.”  
  
“It’ll take a lot more than a snotty t-shirt and a halfassed break in to drive me away.” The gunman laughed quietly, standing. Noctis got up and walked over to the refrigerator. “You want a soda or somethin’?” he called out, shoulders deep in the fridge, digging around behind the prepared meals Ignis had left for him.  
  
“Nah, ‘m good.”  
  
“How about _these_?” Noctis waved around a bag of frozen lima beans, grimacing. “Please. For me. Eat them.”  
  
Prom shook his head. “I’m not really hungry.”  
  
“Whaaat? Since when?” The joke hit Prompto in the gut and Noctis saw him wince from across the room. He knew what was happening, what had been happening. It was something he thought Prom had left behind in high school, but clearly had hitched a ride with him, gnawing at his emotional health, slowly but surely. “I need you to answer me honestly, okay?”  
  
The blonde nodded, gazing out of the window.  
  
“Are you eating?” Prompto opened his mouth, almost too quickly, and stopped, kicking his foot. Noctis closed the refrigerator and crossed his arms, thought better, and let them fall to his sides. “Why not?”  
  
Sunshine boy didn’t even try to argue. “…look at me.” He gestured at his torso, mouth frozen in a permanent frown.  
  
“What am I supposed to see, Prom?” Noctis murmured, walking up to the boy.  
  
Prompto’s lip quivered, but he reined it in, exhaling. “…a loser.” He rocked back on his heels, fingering the zipper on his hoodie. “An absolute waste.”  
  
“No. No, you’re not. You’re so…” Noctis flailed, trying to put his thoughts into words. “…you’re not a waste.”  
  
A cold retort built up on Prom’s lips, but he shoved it aside. “…what do you mean?”  
  
The prince shrugged, crumpling his face into various expressions while he figured out how to speak to his best friend in a way that didn’t end in sarcasm. “Having you around… is like having the sun come out on a rainy day.”  
  
“Oh please-”  
  
“Listen,” Noct interrupted. “I don’t have a lot of friends and it’s obvious why. I-I’m rude and selfish. All I want to do is sleep and hang out with my dad, but he is always so busy and Ignis is busy and Gladio’s an ass and…” He stopped, allowing his mouth to catch up with his train of thought. “And then there’s you, Prom. There’s _you_.”  
  
His shoulders fell slack. It was clear that Noctis had breached the wall he’d built to protect himself and it scared him. A fierce crimson flushed his cheeks. He clenched his jaw and relaxed his hands, unsure of where to go from there. “I gotta make a call.”  
  
“Uh. Huh?” Prompto mused, watching as Noctis snatched up his cell phone and started typing furiously. He uttered the beginnings of a question, but Noct held his finger up, waggling it playfully. The prince placed the call, muttered a quick “thanks”, and hung up.  
  
“I ordered us two large pizzas and-” he shushed Prom with a glare. “…and we’re gonna watch whatever movie you want. I know this isn’t some crazy wonder drug and I won’t reboot your mental health with pepperoni, but I think you need to hang out with me tonight, yeah?” His blue eyes sparkled with warmth as the prince trotted over to the shelf of DVDs. “Ignis picked up Captis’ documentary on Altissia’s music scene for us, it has some cool shots of landscapes and the score is killer.” He looked up at the blonde, DVD in hand. “You wanna watch it?”  
  
Prompto shifted on his feet, unsure of what to say. “…should go home.”  
  
“Prompto, please stay,” Noctis breathed softly. “Please?” The prince barely managed to hide his disappointment, indigo eyes pleading. “Stay with me?”  
  
The air hung heavy, neither boy sure of what else to say. The sound of Prom’s stomach growling broke the silence and he laughed at the irony. “I guess that settles it, then, huh?” He wiped his face one more time, cheeks blazing red. “S’pose I could stay for a while.”  
  
A relieved grin plastered itself across Noct’s face and he tore into the movie case, going on and on, babbling about “this one dude, wow, he is _lethal_ with that bari sax” before popping it into the DVD slot. Prompto beamed from his place on the couch, patting the spot next to him. Noctis hurried over and pressed play, flopping onto the sofa. Prom looked over at the prince, wishing he had his camera. Noctis radiated love and security, the only person he felt he could truly be himself around. Two horribly awkward, socially deprived, idiots just trying to make it in this weird world. He leaned his head on Noct’s collar and pretended he wasn’t floored when it was reciprocated with an arm around his shoulders. “You’re gonna love it,” Noctis exclaimed excitedly when the menu music began.  
  
“I’m sure I will,” Prom replied, curling his legs up on the couch.  
  
The pizza arrived a few minutes later, the delivery man sputtering pleasantries and “royal highn- majesty, I didn’t know” when he saw the prince of Lucis handing him a wad of gil and waving before shutting the door in his face.  
  
“He curtsied,” Prompto cringed, taking a slice of pizza from the top box.  
  
“Yes, he did. Not too shabby, but I’ve seen better,” Noct teased, dissolving into laughter when Prom’s cheese kept stretching, a two foot trail dangling out of his mouth. Prompto grinned wickedly, sauced smeared all over his chin.  
  
“Thanks, man,” he uttered. “…for the pizza.”  
  
“You’re welcome,” Noctis replied, handing him another slice. “For the pizza.”


End file.
